BRISBANE :Australia captain Harry Wilson said the Wallabies were confident of beating the British & Irish Lions in the first test at Lang Park on Saturday despite being heavy underdogs after losing a couple of key players to injury.
The Wallabies have won only four of their last 11 tests and on Saturday will be without regular flyhalf Noah Lolesio and their best test player of the last two years, loose forward Rob Valetini.
Wilson expressed confidence in their replacements, debutant flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny and playmaker Tom Lynagh, and said the whole team were ready to stand up and be counted in front of a sellout crowd.
“We’re very confident,” the number eight told reporters at Lang Park on Friday.
“We’ve had a really good week preparation. We’ve done everything we’ve wanted to do, and we feel like we’re in a really good place.
“The only thing we can control is what we’ve done during the week and what we’re going to go out there and do tomorrow night.”
Coach Joe Schmidt said on Thursday that Wilson would have to carry more ball on Saturday but his captain thought everyone in the pack would need to fill the void left by Valetini against a big Lions pack.
“I’d say all of us have to,” Wilson said. “The thing with Bobby is he takes the tough carries for us, week in, week out. It’s something you don’t take for granted, but you just appreciate a bloke who can take on two, three people.
“And I think the whole forward pack has got to really step up, because when you’re missing a player like him, it’s obviously not ideal, but if everyone just picks up that little 10 per cent, I think it’s very exciting.”
Wilson plays his provincial rugby with Lynagh at the Queensland Reds and said the 22-year-old had revealed a new side to himself ahead of his first test start at flyhalf.
“He doesn’t overuse his words,” he said. “This week, he really has found a voice in the group.
“He knows when he gets that 10 on his back, it’s his team and that’s the way he’s treated it and he’s been talking to us, telling us what he wants. I just want to watch him go to play.”
Wilson said he had spoken to John Eales, who skippered the winning Wallabies in 2001, and James Horwill, who led the side that lost the 2013 series 2-1, and had a clear idea of what he wanted from Saturday night.
“Definitely to enjoy the moment. None of us have really got to enjoy something like this so a sold-out stadium, we really want to take it in,” he said.
“But we’ve got a job to do and for us it’s about focusing on ourselves, just trying to win every moment in front of our face.”
